


Broken Pinky Promise

by NoBrandHero



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, Broken Promises, Childhood Sweethearts, Growing Up Together, HSWC 2014, M/M, Marriage Proposal, One-Sided Relationship, Sadstuck, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-07 01:44:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1880370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoBrandHero/pseuds/NoBrandHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At age six, they promise to get married when they grow up. At age sixteen, John's forgotten. Dave hasn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Pinky Promise

**Author's Note:**

> HSWC Bonus Round 4: Tropes
> 
> "[Childhood Marriage Promise - when they were kids they made one. In high school John has long since forgotten but Dave has developed a very real wish to uphold that promise. (maybe onesided huehue)](http://hs-worldcup.dreamwidth.org/21508.html?thread=5927172#cmt5927172)"

"Promise we'll get married when we grow up." John stares at you with the most seriousness a six-year-old can muster and holds his pinky finger out to you.

You put your hand on your hip like your bro does when he's trying to explain something obvious to you. "Man, marrying's for losers."

John shoves your shoulder. "You're a loser!"

You shrug. "I'm cool enough to not be watching Nick Jr. anymore."

He screws up his face. You think he's about to pitch a fit over the fact you insulted his favorite TV shows -- again -- but instead he says, "Are you too cool to marry me?"

"I'm too cool to marry anyone." You hold your hand out in imitation of his previous pose, your fingers curled into a fist save for one outstretched pinky. "But I'm also cool enough to make an exception for my best friend."

He beams as he completes the pinky promise with you and just like that you're leveled up from "best friends" to "fiances."

You kiss each other then, because that's What Adults Do at times like this. It's awful and wet and you pull a face despite how cool you are. John does as well.

"It probably gets better when we're older," he reassures you.

You're sure counting on that anyway. You'll be a pretty bad husband if you can't kiss John without gagging.

You don't tell anyone, especially not your big bro, that you have a fiance now. Maybe you are not too cool to get married, but you're at least cool enough to keep it to yourself. It's safe to assume the Egbert household probably hears all about it from John. You sure do, whenever he visits. He holds your hand as much as you'll allow it -- which is whenever none of the grown-ups are looking -- and kisses your cheek because he says it feels better than lip kissing anyway.

He outgrows clinging to you before his seventh birthday and you're okay with that. You prefer a laid back engagement and it's good for him to mature. Maybe someday he'll even catch up with you.

Your promise becomes unspoken as the years pass, but you still call John your fiance in your head all through elementary and middle school, even if you never say it aloud now that he's stopped bringing it up.

You're sixteen and still spending most evenings at each other's houses, whether it's to record music, watch shitty movies, or complain of boredom together. Tonight you're playing Super Mario 3D World and passing the controller over whenever someone dies or finishes a level.

"I think Vriska's maybe going to ask me out," John says, sprawled on your mattress while you sit on the floor next to him.

"Ew," you say flatly.

"Hey!" He shoves your shoulder with a foot, distracting you enough that Peach falls to her doom on an easyass jump. "I'm thinking of saying yes, you ass!"

"Excuse me?" You lower the controller. "Thought we were getting married, Egbert."

John smirks and raises an eyebrow. "What?"

You refuse to acknowledge the sinking feeling in your chest. "We've been engaged since we were six, man." You hold the controller to him but he doesn't take it just yet. "Get with the program."

"Uh..." John stares blankly for a long moment, then snorts loudly. "Oh, _wow_. You remember that? I completely forgot that even happened."

Your heart's fallen far enough it's probably hit your stomach. It's sliding past your intestines as you speak. "Yeah, dude. We pinky promised and everything."

John laughs. "Man, we were a couple of dweebs!" He finally takes the controller and hits the retry button on the level you so spectacularly botched.

"So you're backing out on a pinky promise? Those things are binding, man," you say, your voice its usual deadpan, not a drop of emotion to be heard. "Who knows what kind of nonsense you'll unleash if you don't hold up to your end of the deal."

He's not even looking at you anymore, all his concentration on smashing goombas. "Well, it would be a pretty silly marriage seeing as we're not homosexual."

You don't bother pointing out that your bisexual status makes you half-homosexual. It's not your orientation that matters right now. "You were the one who proposed, you know."

John chuckles. "Yeah, I thought I was sooo in love with you. I was... How old did you say? Six? I was not a smart six-year-old." He fistpumps as he nabs a tough-to-reach green star in the game. "What do you think of Vriska though? She's kind of a bully, but I think she doesn't mean to be."

You slump back against the side of your bed, careful not to frown. "Man, the hell are you asking me for? What the fuck do I know about romance?"


End file.
